Rachel Mason

In a previous interview, I spoke with former U.S. Attorney General and longtime human rights activist Ramsey Clark about JFK’s assignation and wake, as well the current presidential election. In this conversation, Clark offers why he’s chosen to defend people who are largely considered evil, including Saddam Hussein. We talked in depth about why we try to understand these people.

In 2007, at a time of war, I wanted to understand how my creative output connected to global conflicts. I believe that, at the center of everything are people, so I started by researching the individuals behind them in order to better understand the rationale behind mass violence. I started researching their lives, I wrote songs about them, and I stared at them for a very long time, making little figurines.

It turned out that someone else had been exploring the topic for decades: former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, who went on to defend some of the most notorious war criminals of the late 20th century, including Saddam Hussein. In this first interview Clark shares several personal stories that give shape to Clark’s personal ideologies, including a a vivid memory of Kennedy’s wake during his time in the Department of Justice under Kennedy and Johnson.